OREANDA-NEWS. August 23, 2012. In Oulu Head of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen and director general at Regional State Administrative Agency for Northern Finland Terttu Savolainen, as well as directors of centers on the economy, transportation and environment of the regions of Kainuu and North Pohjanmaa Kari Paakkenen and Matti Raina signed the Memorandum on results of the negotiations on cooperation between Karelia and Northern Finland. Former Governor of Oulu Eino Siuruainen, representatives of the state, municipal and private organozations took part in the talks on the part of Finland.

In the course of the talks it has been mentioned that cooperation between Karelia and Oulu started during the construction of the town of Kostomuksha (and many of those present took part in the building of the ore-dressing and processing enterprise and the town), and in its modern shape it proceeds more than 20 years; in some spheres, for example, culture, the citizens and organizations have already established strong bilateral cooperation and almost do not need any administrative mediation. Nevertheless, there are some issues still outstanding. In particular, matters concerned some specific projects.

So, Finnish companies have expressed interest to participation in the project of reconstruction of water treatment works of Petrozavodsk, as well as in the project on recycling of solid domestic waste and reconstruction of the city dump in the capital of Karelia as subcontractors and suppliers of the equipment. Similar projects in which companies from Northern Finland participate are already run in the region of North Ladoga coast.

Finnish builders of roads are also interested in cooperation with our republic. All these spheres are especially perspective to the Finnish business, as they are supported financially by the European Union.

Besides, the recently worked out strategy of tourism development in Northern Finland means creation and promotion of a new cross-border tourist brand of Pohjala in territory of Finland and Karelia between the two seas. Thus, it is planned to create a new tourist route called The White Road which reproduces the ancient trade route between the Baltics and the White Sea region. Therefore, the Finnish partners are interested in the opportunity of joint activities on simplification of the visa system for tourist groups arriving for short terms, including for tourists from the third countries.

At the moment the project of creation of the new brand is emerging. Its authors seek for partners in Karelia. On the volumes of tourism Northern Finland is now the second-active in the country after the capital region, taking into account that 75% of tourists come from Russia, and local shops already appeal to authorities for a permission to work on holidays.

The Finnish party also intends to expand the Lytta-Vartius check point: premises will be repaired, the staff will increase, additional strip for trucks will be constructed. Besides, Finland plans to invest more than 200 million euros in the improvement of frontier network of motor- and railways in the area of Oulu.

In turn, Alexander Khudilainen emphasized that all the useful groundwork of cooperation between the republic and Eastern Finland will be retained and will continue: "It is a good foundation, and together we will be able to raise a good building on it. New opportunities will open up in due course, the main thing for both parties is a desire to use them."

Alexander Khudilainen has informed, that Bruxelles has already approved Karelia's application for financing of construction of the road from Suopera check point to Paozero on the part of the European Union. The idea of the organization of Petrozavodsk-Kostomuksha-Kajaani-Oulu railway communication was also discussed and was preliminary supported at the meeting of Head of Karelia and the Russian Railways President V.Yakunin within the scope of the St.-Petersburg Economic Forum.

Besides, the Government of Karelia has prepared a package of bills focused on improvement of the investment climate in the republic, including extension of the terms of preferential tax treatment and payments for the period of recoupment of investment projects.

Continuation of cooperation in the sphere of social protection, medicine, culture, employment of the population, energy sector, science and innovative technologies, etc. was also discussed. Oulu is a large university and scientific centre. There are more than 30,000 students, middle age of the townspeople is 37 years (and in immediate prospects it may decrease to 34 years, and Oulu will become the youngest city in Europe). Many research centers work in the most wide range of directions: from cultivation of the most qualitative seed potatos in Europe to new know-how in the sphere of energy and ICT.

The basis for successful cooperation may be the community of challenges which Karelia and Eastern Finland encounter. Thus, simultaneously with a recent extreme situation in Byelomorsk caused by a heavy fall of rain, the similar disaster has descended on the region of North Pohjanmaa. Forest fires which do not know any borders are also a common trouble. For example, Finnish fire-fighting aviation flying over frontier territories shares the data on detection of forest fires on the Russian side of the border with Karelian authorities.

Discussion of specific opportunities of cooperation in the sphere of economy proceeded at the meeting in Business Oulu development agency where representatives of local companies have told about their plans and projects already implemented in territory of Karelia, including construction of boiler-houses, reconstruction and modernization of objects of housing and communal services, industrial process control automation, development of tourist infrastructure, consulting, monitoring of the state of the environment, etc.